


Story Time

by TimeCloneMike



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: But certainly better than being stuck as a flower, Gen, Goat Kids, Not a perfect restoration, Or a voice inside somebody's head, SAVED Asriel Dreemurr, SAVED Chara, Stand alone one shot, Teenage Frisk, bedtime story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 07:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17075588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeCloneMike/pseuds/TimeCloneMike
Summary: One night, Frisk tells their younger siblings a bedtime story.





	Story Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CinnamonAzzy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonAzzy/gifts).



“I don’t wanna go to bed!” The small fuzzy monster stomped his foot. “I wanna stay up!”

“I know, but you have to go to bed, Asriel. That’s what a bedtime means.”

“It’s not fair! _You_ get to stay up late!”

“That’s because I’m older. And believe me, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I have exams I have to study for.” Asriel was picked up by arms with a lot less fur than he had, which placed him on the bed. “Now you settle down for a little while I get Chara, and if you’re good, I’ll tell you both a story, okay?”

Asriel pouted as only a goat-like boss monster could pout, while another fuzzy boss monster of similar appearance (not to mention similar pajamas) was tracked down and carried into the bedroom.

“There we are. All tucked in.”

“Story!” Asriel immediately cried out. “You promised to tell us a story, Frisk!”

“Yeah… I did. Okay. Let’s see… there’s a very old story, and I think you’re both old enough to hear it.” Frisk walked over to one of the chairs in the bedroom, pulled it closer to the bed, and sat down. “This is the tale of the Underground. It’s very old, and very new.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Chara pointed out.

“That’s the thing about stories, Chara. The really important ones are still happening. Okay...”

 

_A long time ago, the world was ruled by two races. Humans and Monsters. One day, war broke out between them. After a long battle, the humans defeated the monsters. The sealed them underground with a magic spell. Many years later, a young child climbed to the top of Mt. Ebott. Legends say that those who climb the mountain never return. Nobody knows why the child was on the mountain. All anyone knows is that it started to rain, and they ran inside a cave to take shelter, but they were in such a hurry that they tripped over a tree root. And they fell down a deep, dark hole. Down, down, down… into the Underground._

 

“Isn’t that where Dunkle Sans goes to get burgers?”

“No, Chara, that’s a restaurant _called_ The Underground.”

 

_The child landed on a field of golden flowers, which broke their fall… and as they started to explore the cavern, they met a kind old lady, the caretaker of the ruins. Her name was Toriel-_

 

“Like mommy?”

“Yes, Asriel. Just like mom.”

 

_Toriel guided the child through the Ruins of the ancient city of Home, showing the child how to solve the puzzles, and how to talk to the monsters who still lived there. And when she brought the child to her house, she baked them a butterscotch cinnamon pie._

 

“Just like mommy!”

“Yes, Chara. Just like mom.”

 

_Toriel was so happy to see the child, she set aside a room for them, and started making plans. Plans to teach them lessons and show them how to cook and where to catch bugs in the Ruins and all sorts of activities. But the child didn’t want to stay. They asked Toriel when they could go home-_

 

“But why? Why wouldn’t they want to stay with mommy?”

“I’m getting to that part, Asriel.”

 

_Toriel didn’t want to let the child go, because she was afraid of what would happen in the rest of the Underground. But the child wanted to leave, because they were afraid of what would happen if they stayed in the Ruins. Because Toriel was very big, and the child was very small. And… the child had learned a long time ago that anyone who was bigger than them might hurt them, because they were stronger. And even though it scared them, they argued with Toriel, and even fought._

 

“I don’t think I like this story anymore.”

“Asriel shush! I wanna hear this!”

 

_Toriel tried to scare them away, but the child was too stubborn to give up, and too afraid to stay, now that they saw Toriel when she was mad. And eventually Toriel gave in. She realized it wasn’t fair to the child to keep them locked up. They might be safe, but they would never be happy. So she hugged the child goodbye, and let them leave the Ruins. The child walked out into the Underground and found themselves in a snow filled forest, where they met two skeletons, named-_

 

“Papyrus and Sans?”

“Asriel, please stop interrupting Frisk. I’m trying to pay attention.”

“Sorry. Was it though, Frisk?”

“Yes. Yes it was.”

 

_Sans and Papyrus tried to capture the child. They used spike puzzles, an invisible electricity maze, a tile puzzle with lots of colors, but the child was very good at puzzles. Eventually they made it to Snowdin Town, where Papyrus challenged them to a battle. There were bones as far as the eye could see, but the child was almost as good at dodging as they were at puzzles, and also good at distracting Papyrus, so he got tired and they declared a truce._

 

“That sounds more like Sans than Papyrus.”

“Chara you told me not to interrupt Frisk and now you’re doing it!”

 

_But before the child moved on to the rest of the Underground, Papyrus invited them to hang out. Together they talked about many things. Robots. Basketballs. Race cars. The internet. Papyrus even made them spaghetti. And to apologize for the spaghetti after the hangout was done, Sans bought the child a hamburger._

 

“Now that sounds like Papyrus.”

“Chara!”

“Settle down you two.”

 

_In the dark caves of Waterfall, where the underground river emptied out, the child learned the history of the war. How monsters were attacked and trapped underground. And they also learned the only way that they could escape. Seven human souls could destroy the Barrier that the magic spell created. And the child also learned that the monsters had collected six souls already, from the humans that fell down._

 

“...I don’t like this story anymore.”

“You already said that!”

 

_On the edge of Waterfall, just outside of Hotland, the child met their greatest opponent. Undyne. Captain of the Royal Guard, and determined to collect the human’s soul and set the monsters free, to wage war on humanity for ages of darkness._

 

“Undyne wouldn’t really do that! Would she?”

“Maybe, if you told her that anime wasn’t real.”

“Chara that is a mean-spirited thing to say, even if it is true. Now settle down, both of you, if you want me to finish the story.”

 

_The child had never fought such a dangerous foe. Undyne refused to give up, no matter what. So the child did the only thing they could, and ran away. Towards Undyne. Past Undyne. All the way to the edge of Hotland. And when Undyne tried to chase them, they couldn’t. Hotland was too hot, and she collapsed. The child poured some water on her gills because they were worried about her, and Undyne made her way home._

 

“Wait, why would the child pour water on Undyne if Undyne was trying to kill them?”

“Frisk just said it was because they were worried, Chara! Weren’t you listening?”

“Of course I was listening! That’s how I know it doesn’t make any sense!”

“Stop fighting. Both of you. I’m still telling the story.”

 

_The child went back to Waterfall because they were still worried about Undyne, and met Papyrus outside her house. Papyrus wanted them to be friends, but Undyne hated humans and didn’t want anything to do with them._

 

“Wait, the child was a human??”

“Oh, right. Frisk said at the start of the story that monsters had been stuck underground, so anybody who fell from the surface would _have_ to be human.”

 

_But while Undyne was determined, Papyrus was clever. He tricked Undyne into trying to be friends by challenging her, implying it was too hard. And Undyne fell for the trick, making the child tea and teaching them how to make spaghetti._

 

“Did _everyone_ in the Underground love spaghetti??”

“Asriel, could you _please_ stop interrupting me.”

“...sorry.”

 

_And so the child made their way to Hotland, where they met the Royal Scientist, Alphys-_

 

“Is _everyone_ in this story named after people we know?”

“Yes, Chara. Please stop interrupting.”

“Yeah, _Chara_ , stop interrupting.”

 

_Dr. Alphys had created a robot to entertain the Underground and keep everyone happy while waiting for the last human souls, called Mettaton. But Mettaton wanted a bigger audience. Mettaton wanted to cross the barrier and entertain humans too. All the way through Hotland, Mettaton would try to stop the human. First on a cooking show. Then on a news program. Then, during a dramatic play. And finally, during a live concert. Each time, Alphys tried to help the human make their way past Mettaton, but at the very end, they could do nothing. Mettaton revealed that he and Alphys had been working together to try to convince the human not to try to leave the Underground. Mettaton tried to take the child’s human soul… but they beat him in a dance off, lasting long enough for his battery to run down._

 

“What’s a dance off?”

“Chara! Stop it!”

“You’ll both find out when you’re older. Where was I… oh. Right.”

 

_And so the child made their way to the grand city of New Home, and the Castle of the King. And there… the child learned the story of the first fallen human, long before them. A human child that fell into the Underground, and called for help, and their call was heard by the King’s son… Asriel._

 

“Wait, the King’s son is named after me? Does that mean dad is the King?”

“Asriel! Just let Frisk tell the story already!”

 

_Asriel and the fallen human grew up together. They were like best friends. They were like family. And the Underground was full of hope, to see humans and monsters side by side. But one day, the human became very sick. Nothing the monsters could do could help them. The human had one last request. They wanted to see the golden flowers from their village on the surface. And the next day… the human died._

 

“...I don’t like this story. At all.”

 

_Asriel was heartbroken. He had lost his best friend. He was so consumed by his grief he used his magic to absorb the soul of his friend. He became a being with incredible power. He picked up their body, and walked through the barrier, and took it back to the village of the humans. But when the humans saw him, they were afraid. They saw a fearsome creature with the body of a child, and they panicked, and attacked._

 

“Frisk, stop. I don’t want to hear anymore.”

 

_But Asriel did not fight back. He carried his friend’s body back to the Underground. He could have destroyed the whole village in an instant. But he knew that they were just afraid. It wasn’t their fault. He ran back to the Underground. But he had been badly hurt. He fell, and he died. His dust scattered over the garden._

 

“Frisk _stop_. You’re scaring Asriel!”

“I’m sorry Chara. But that’s how the story goes.”

 

_The King and the Queen had lost both of their children in a single night. And King Asgore was angry. He declared war. All humans who fell down, their souls would be used to free monsters, and he would use their power to become even stronger than his son had been, and destroy humanity, so monsters could live on the surface in peace._

 

“You’re lying! Dad wouldn’t do that! Dad would never...”

“It’s just a story Asriel. Frisk is just being a jerk.”

“I told you, Chara. This is how the story goes.”

 

_And so the child made their way to the throne room, where the King was watering flowers. And the King turned to see them, and he was shocked. And he was sad. Because he had seen so many humans fall. And he hated what he had to do, in the name of saving monsters. But he couldn’t bring himself to stop. Not when all they needed was one more soul. And they prepared to fight. But before they could begin… there was a burst of fire magic! Toriel had appeared and stopped the battle!_

 

“But Toriel was in the Ruins!”

“Yes, Asriel, but let me finish.”

 

_After Toriel had let the child go, she could not stop worrying about them. So she unlocked the door to the Ruins and chased after them! Across the road to Snowdin, through Waterfall, up through Hotland, all the way to the castle! And even before she was done speaking, Undyne appeared! Undyne didn’t want Asgore and the human to fight either, and Alphys didn’t, and Papyrus didn’t, and Sans didn’t, and so many other people in the Underground came to the castle to try to change the King’s mind…_

 

“...what happened after that?”

“Well, that’s the thing, Chara. Nobody really knows. There was a bright light. And then people passed out, all over the Underground. And when they woke up, the Barrier was gone. Monsters were free. But nobody _really_ knows what happened. Maybe, all of those monster souls, all with one goal in mind, made up for not having all seven human souls. Or maybe the human child’s soul didn’t need to taken for them to help break the Barrier. Or, just maybe, there was _someone else_ involved. Someone who had been trying to free monsters for ages, and all the pieces had finally fallen into place. No matter what it was, the Barrier was destroyed, and monsters could finally leave. So they did. The Underground became just an empty cavern, and monsters moved to the Surface. Where they all live to this very day.”

Chara stared at Frisk, then turned to Asriel; the young monster’s fur was matted around his eyes where his tears had run, and he was sniffling a lot.

“That story is so sad. Why did you tell us that? Asriel’s probably going to have nightmares now!”

“No I’m not,” Asriel mumbled, but his voice cracked and it was clear he didn’t have a lot of confidence in what he was saying.

Frisk sighed and stood up from the chair, grasping the bed covers and pulling them up to cover the two monster children.

“I told you that story, so I could tell you another one tomorrow. It’s a lot happier. But it only makes sense if you know this one already. Understand? Besides, a whole bunch of people, trapped underground, finally got their freedom again. How is that sad?”

“But the prince… and the prince’s friend… and all the other humans that fell...” Asriel was trying hard not to cry as he talked, but it was clear the subject was weighing on his heart. Frisk leaned over and hugged him.

“Yes. What happened to them was tragic. But Asriel… did I say _The End_ yet?”

“...no.”

“That’s because the story isn’t over. Not yet. But it’s late. So you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear how it ends.”

“...okay.”

Frisk finished tucking in the children, and fetched stuffed animals from atop the dresser when they were requested (Commander Snuffles for Asriel, Mew Mew Plushie Cutie for Chara), flipped on the nightlight, and closed the door.

“Good night, Asriel. Good night, Chara,” Frisk whispered. “See you tomorrow.”

 

Frisk stared at the cup of tear being offered by massive, fur covered hands. It took a few moments for them to think to reach for it.

“Thanks, dad.”

“You are quite welcome, Frisk.” Asgore sat down opposite Frisk at the massive dinner table, watching as the tea was drained. The sound of crackling flames from the fireplace, and the clicking of Toriel’s knitting needles, filled the silence comfortably until the cup was placed on its saucer with a clink.

“I told them about my trip through the Underground tonight. Not every single detail. But the broad strokes.”

“...how did they take it?”

Frisk shrugged.

“They thought it was a sad story. They’re right, of course. I don’t think they remember anything from before. Not real memories. But… I was watching them the whole time. Every time I got to a point where I should have mentioned Flowey the Flower or something like that… they looked confused. Like, they thought they knew how the story was going to go, and then I changed it on them.”

“...do you think a part of them… remembers?”

“I don’t _know_ ,” Frisk’s voice cracked on the last word. “And I don’t know which is worse. The idea that they don’t remember anything and they never will, that everything they had was _lost_ when they were reborn, or that one day it’s all going to come back to them, all the terrible things in the Underground, and...”

Frisk trailed off, and Toriel put aside her knitting with the clinking of needles before patting the arm of her chair. Slowly, with every sign of reluctance, Frisk got up, walked over, and sat down next to the massive boss monster, who embraced the human with both arms.

“For ages, I mourned the loss of Asriel and Chara. For ages, I thought I would never again see their faces, hear their voices. But they are back now.” Toriel let go of Frisk, and smiled at the human. “All else is details. Whatever happens in the future, we will take it as it comes. Do you understand?”

“...yes. I understand.”

“I know it was hard on you to tell the children that story, even in part. If you wanted to call it an early night, I would certainly understand.”

“...is it okay if I just sit here for a little while?”

“Of course, my child.” Toriel smiled again. “You can stay here for as long as you need.”

Slowly, the fire in the fireplace burned down to embers. Toriel stood up from her chair, carefully supporting the human that had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Asgore got up from the table as well, and the trio walked down the hallway; Asgore carefully opened the door to Frisk’s room, and Toriel carefully placed the human on their bed, tucking them in with years of practice and experience.

“Good night, Frisk,” Toriel whispered. “See you tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a belated birthday gift for CinnamonAzzy. Happy Birthday my dude!


End file.
